On April 15th, Sturgill Simpson will release his new album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, via Atlantic Records. In anticipation, the LP is streaming in its entirety below courtesy of NPR.com.
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth marks the alt-country songwriter’s third full-length to date following 2014’s stellar Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. A press release notes that the self-produced LP was “written — beginning to end — as a letter to his first child who arrived during the summer of 2014.”
In addition to Simpson’s touring band, the new full-length features contributions from bassist Dave Roe (Johnny Cash), Dan Dugmore (James Taylor) on steel guitar, and The Dap-Kings, among others. Grammy-winner David Ferguson (Johnny Cash, John Prine) sat in as engineer during recording sessions at Nashville’s The Butcher Shoppe.
Amongst its nine tracks is a gripping cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom”. In a statement, Simpson spoke about the track and the classic Nevermind album:
“I remember in seventh or eighth grade, when that album [Nevermind] dropped, it was like a bomb went off in my bedroom,” Sturgill said in a statement. “For me, that song has always summed up what it means to be a teenager, and I think it tells a young boy that he can be sensitive and compassionate—he doesn’t have to be tough or cold to be a man. So I wanted to make a very beautiful and pure homage to Kurt.”
Pre-order the album here.
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth Tracklist:
01. Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)
02. Breakers Roar
03. Keep It Between The Lines
04. Sea Stories
05. In Bloom
06. Brace For Impact (Live A Little)
07. All Around You
08. Oh Sarah
09. Call To Arms
